Gingerbread Memories

Making a gingerbread house has been a tradition of years past in our house.  The kids love the art of placing (and eating) the candy, dreaming up ways to cram as much sugar on one house as possible, and...begging to eat off of it for the rest of the month (to no avail).

This year this tradition was super-sized...and I have a feeling there is no turning back to the old humble gingerbread house of the past.  Some of our awesome friends invited us to one of their most favorite Christmas traditions...decorating gingerbread houses.  Sounds perfectly normal...but this is way different that our little house last year.  This was the creation of a masterpiece, with all of the tools an artist needs to succeed.

A local restaurant has put the magic into this tradition.  They close down their restaurant and set the tables with gingerbread houses, bowls of candy and frosting at each table, awaiting tiny hands to place each and every piece of candy in just the right place (one in the mouth, one on the house pattern). No fooling around with house walls that tip, fall, or gap.  This cottage was professionally built and waiting for the fun part...the decorating.

As if that wasn't enough, there was a fully stocked candy bar at the restaurant's bar...in case you needed more coconut snow, peppermints for the sidewalk, or Mike & Ike bricks.  They had it all.  My kids were in heaven.  Add in adult beverages, dinner, and great friends...and the whole family is having an awesome time.  Making our house.  Making memories.

This picture comes close to capturing the chaos of dual gingerbread design with five kids and four parents.  There. was. candy. everywhere.  AND stickiness.  Stickiness everywhere.

Notice the Christmas tree above (on the corner of the table)?  Upside down waffle-cones.  Awesome.

Hard at work.

Notice the expert placement of the "R"  monogram on the front of their house.  Masterpiece, I tell you!

 Smiles all around.

 

As if the decorating wasn't enough fun, Santa made a surprise visit and gave the kiddos a little gift.   (As if my kids haven't seen him enough already this season.  Seems like every post has a picture of them with Santa!  I think he follows us around.)

                                     

Then, it was time to pose with our finished product.

                                     

Myles was quite proud.  See that awesome marshmallow snowman?  

And...the whole gang with both houses.  Take a look at the table.  Best part?  No clean up.  The other best part?  We were able to share the experience with great friends.  I love that my kids not only are friends with these three kiddos, but they have come to know and trust their parents (and our big kid friends) too.  Making memories together...priceless.